Georgia University Student Jumps Off Popular Cliff To Celebrate Graduation, Dies

A graduation celebration turned tragic after a 24-year-old University of Georgia graduate lost his life while jumping from a cliff into an Alabama lake. The incident occurred at Chimney Rock on Lake Martin, where Jayden Barreto was celebrating with friends when he reportedly failed to resurface after the jump.

“Jayden jumped off the rock, and witnesses told us he never came back up,” Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin told the Montgomery Advertiser. Rescue teams later recovered his body after hours of searching.

Barreto, who had earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management information systems and a Bachelor of Science in psychology, was celebrating graduation with friends at the lake, a spot the website describes as a “must-do jump for adrenaline junkies and thrill seekers.”

Emergency crews rushed to the scene after reports that a man had disappeared. Dive teams searched for hours before recovering Barreto's body around 9:45 pm, officials said. Divers found him on an underwater shelf about 50 feet below the surface. Authorities said the lake drops at least another 70 feet below that ledge.

“The jump from Chimney Rock is like hitting a sheet of glass from 60 feet up. It all depends on how your body hits the water," Franklin told the newspaper.

“We have nothing that points to this being anything but a tragic accident, where the young man drowned but we are conducting an investigation," he added.

Barreto's body has been sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences to determine the cause of death. Montgomery Fire Rescue said six divers searched for him in “challenging conditions.”

“Crews worked alongside multiple partner agencies in a coordinated and extended search effort,” the department said in a Facebook post. "Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones during this difficult time."

A celebration of life for Barreto is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary's Fisher Chapel in Columbus, according to CBS News.